Back to School!

It’s time to hit the books! I love back-to-school season and always have. I was the kid who couldn’t wait to shop for school supplies. The smell of new pencils and crayons represented the creative possibilities in the year ahead. The new lunch box reminded me of all the friends (old and new) I would spend time with at school. But my favorite thing was my beloved Trapper Keeper, the notebook that helped me keep all (or at least most) of my papers together and present some semblance of organization. Even though I couldn’t articulate it as a child, I realize now that all of these learning tools represented hope and possibility to me. That’s what learning is all about. When we learn new things, we can do new things. We can understand new things. We can even become new ourselves. This is a season of hope and possibility, and it’s not just for children, youth and school personnel. Back-to-school season is for ALL of us, because we haven’t learned all there is to know about God or the Bible yet. We are still working on becoming perfect in love (one of John Wesley’s primary aims). And there are still many, many people who don’t yet know that Jesus offers mercy, grace and salvation. What could we learn that might speak to them? Do you want more hope in your life? Do you need to remember all that is possible with God? Then take the next step and commit to learning something new. Pastor Tim and I will be leading a six-week overview of the Old Testament on Wednesday evenings beginning Aug. 28. The study runs from 6:30-8 p.m. and will meet in the Wilder Center. Whether you’ve studied the Old Testament extensively or are new to Bible study, this class will refresh and challenge you. You can register for the study by contacting the church office at (706) 291-8590. Additionally, Dr. Gil Watson’s Wednesday Bible study resumes at noon on Sept. 11 in the Wilder Center Dining Room. No registration is required, just show up! Lastly, Rome First offers Sunday school classes for every age group, including a new one for parents that will be starting later this month. These studies and classes are full of hope and possibility. We have little to lose when we sign up to learn new things, but there’s so much we can gain, from new perspectives to new friends. Don’t let the school bus pass you by. Jump on and let’s study together!

(May 2024) Happy Birthday, Church!

When I was a child, I looked forward to my birthday for months. It was fun to have a party, play games and eat cake. And, of course, the gifts were pretty great, too! As we get older, we may not celebrate our birthdays with quite the same enthusiasm, but it’s still nice that people want to observe the day you entered the world.

Did you know that the church has a birthday, too? It’s Pentecost, the day on which God gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit and the collective work of Christ’s followers began. This is why Pentecost, which is observed 50 days after Easter, is considered the birth of the church. It is a grand celebration of God’s enduring gift of the Holy Spirit and the work the church does through the Spirit’s leading. We will celebrate Pentecost on May 19, so please make plans to be in worship that Sunday.

For many special occasions, including weddings and births, people register for gifts. This year, I want to register on behalf of our church. Here’s what we need:

Your prayers. Pray for Rome First UMC and our leadership team. Pray that we will hear God’s voice and be obedient to what God calls us to do. Pray that we will seek new ways of building relationships in and with our community.

Your presence. Summer is almost here, and many of us will be traveling in the near future or enjoying the outdoor amenities around us. Remember that worship is vital to our spiritual health. Besides, it’s not the same without you. We need one another!

Your gifts. Thank you for your faithfulness to God’s call for generosity! What is the next step for you in your giving? If you’re not yet a regular giver, the next step is to make giving a part of your family’s spending plan each month. If you’re already giving regularly, then the next step is to become a tither, following God’s command to give 10 percent of what we earn back to God. A next step for regular givers and tithers is to remember Rome First in your will or estate planning. Planned gifts such as these have had an incredible impact on our church over the years, providing for many capital improvements and ministries. What legacy would you like to leave?

Your service. If you don’t already have a place to serve in our church, ask God what you can do for the kingdom. Maybe you should be singing in our choir or working with our children or youth. Your gifts may be best used in leading a Bible study or working on one of our committees. The point is that everyone has something to offer to the ministries at Rome First.

Your witness. Everything we do says something about who we say Jesus is. Are we proclaiming a gracious and merciful God whose love is offered freely? Invite someone to join you for worship. You’ll be glad you did.

These are the things our church needs. Thank you for helping provide them! You may recognize these things as being part of our membership vows. When we join a United Methodist church, we pledge to support the church with our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness. This Pentecost, let’s grow in our faithfulness and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. That is cause for celebration, indeed!

Blessings,

Valerie

(April 2024) Easter Season

I live by my calendar. All of my meetings, outings and obligations are listed on it. I consult it before I plan anything new. Without it, I would be lost and would likely forget something important. But, as critical as my calendar is, it’s not 100% correct.

For example, it says that Easter is Sunday, March 31. That’s true, of course. It’s just not the full truth. Easter isn’t just one day in the Christian Church. It’s a season. While we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on March 31, it’s just the beginning of the celebration. Easter is actually 50 days long! The Easter season concludes with the celebration of Pentecost, the day we give thanks for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

It makes sense when you think about it. The resurrection is such a life-giving and life-changing event that one day can’t possibly contain it. The joy of the resurrection rightfully spills over into the days and weeks that follow. It’s no wonder that it takes 50 days to properly celebrate it!

It can, however, be a challenge to keep our celebratory energy steady for 50 days. Case in point: Did you know that there’s a special nickname for the Sunday after Easter? It’s called Low Sunday, but not for a good reason. In Protestant circles, we use the name Low Sunday because of lower attendance the Sunday after Easter. It’s as if some people have decided that the party is over and opt to stay home. But, as noted above, the party is just getting started.

This year, we have something special to look forward to on the Sunday after Easter, April 7. Rev. Dr. Robin Lindsey will be preaching both services that morning, and it will be memorable as we kick off our new sermon series, Easter Awakenings: Waking Up to Faith, Holiness and Life.

The season of Easter is an amazing 50 days, but, in reality, Easter never ends. Christians are meant to live in the joy of the resurrection. We continue to celebrate that Jesus defeated death. We also celebrate that, through Jesus, we can defeat death as well and have eternal life. Hallelujah!

The Rev. William James captured this sentiment well when he wrote the beloved Easter hymn, Easter People, Raise Your Voices in 1979. In the third verse, he says:

“Every day to us is Easter, with its resurrection song. When in trouble move the faster to our God who rights the wrong. Alleluia! Alleluia! See the power of heavenly throngs.”

Rev. James spent most of his ministry career serving in Harlem. He had a special affinity for ministering to the homeless and street gangs. He wanted everyone to know the joy of the resurrection, so much so that he was still working part-time into his 90s, focusing on evangelism.

Rev. James is correct. We are an Easter people. Every day to us should be Easter. Let’s put that on our calendars so we don’t forget that the celebration lives on!

(March 2024) What or Who are You Looking for?

I recently misplaced something. I knew it was on my desk…somewhere. I began looking for it, but then the phone rang. Then someone popped into my office to ask a question. Half an hour later I knew I had been searching for something, but I’d forgotten what it was. I had to mentally retrace my steps to remember what I was looking for and why.

This incident prompts me to ask: What or who are you looking for this Lenten and Easter season? Are you searching for peace and hope? Are you seeking God with all your heart?

Sometimes it’s fun to search for things. As a child, I hunted Easter eggs for weeks. I was relentless in asking my mother to hide them so that I could have the joy of finding them. We had Easter egg hunts inside the house and out. I found plastic eggs in the refrigerator, in the pockets of my clothes and around the trees in the back yard. There is joy in the search, but then it’s over.

Sometimes we approach Easter the same way. We walk through the season of Lent, reflecting on who we are and searching for God’s will for our lives. We wave palm branches on Palm Sunday and try to fathom the pain that Jesus endured on Good Friday. We joyfully celebrate Easter morning and the empty tomb that tells the world that Jesus has risen from the dead. It seems like the conclusion to the story, but it isn’t. Not really.

Easter is a new beginning, not an ending. It isn’t the end of searching for God and God’s will in our lives. Each year, we search anew for what it means to be an Easter people and to live as people who worship a risen Savior. I pray that your search continues to bring you joy!

Blessings,

Valerie

(February 2024) Who's Looking Forward to Lent?

Lent is coming! Lent is coming!

Forgive my Paul Revere moment about the season of Lent. It’s just that I’ve never heard anyone get that excited about Lent, and I understand why. For many, Lent is a season in which we give up something we enjoy (like chocolate or social media) so that we can deny ourselves and follow Jesus more closely. Well, I will never get excited about giving up chocolate! Giving up things tends to make me grumpy, and no one likes a grumpy pastor.

In recent years, I’ve found it more effective to take on something new for the season of Lent, rather than giving up something. It might be a new spiritual practice like reading your Bible for 15 minutes every day or praying daily for something or someone. It might be a prayer walk or following a particular devotional guide. Whatever it is, committing ourselves to something that enriches our spiritual life is a great Lenten practice and readies us for Holy Week and the celebration of Easter. There is no resurrection without the cross, and Lent prepares us to walk with Jesus to the cross.

Our Lenten Bible study will offer you a fantastic way to observe Lent and prepare for the grand celebration of the Easter season. This year, we’re studying Rev. Adam Hamilton’s The Walk: Five Essential Practices of the Christian Life. We’ll discuss what it means to be a disciple and take a deeper dive into key spiritual practices. Rev. Tim Galloway will lead this study at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday nights beginning Feb. 21 and going through March 27. You can buy the book at major online retailers. Please sign up for the study by calling the church office at (707) 291-8590 or by emailing church office@romefirst.org.

The study is a companion to our Lenten sermon series, which also will delve into these spiritual practices. Additionally, we’ll offer you ways to actually do these spiritual practices so that we go beyond just talking about them. I’m really looking forward to this series and especially to exploring the spiritual discipline of service.

We’ll put this discipline into practice on Sunday, March 10, when we pack about 11,000 meals for Rise Against Hunger. RAH sends dehydrated meals to food-insecure places all over the world. You’ll hear more about this event in days to come, but please put this event on your calendar. It will begin at 4 p.m. in the Wilder Center. We’ll also be joined by some other United Methodist congregations in Floyd County. This is a great multigenerational event, as there are ways for everyone to participate.

Hearing all of this, I’m getting pretty excited about Lent! What about you?

(December 2023) It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.....

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year….”

“Let your hearts be light. From now on, our troubles will be out of sight…”

“Deck the halls with boughs of holly…”

I love Christmas music, and I have a particular fondness for versions sung by people like Bing Crosby, Perry Como and Rosemary Clooney. But as much as I love these songs, they’re not always true to life. There are a lot of hurting hearts in the midst of all the glitz and bright lights of the season.

It is incredibly tough if your fa-la-la is broken when society mandates that you be upbeat and happy during the Christmas season. So many people struggle through the lead up to Christmas.

I want you to know that feeling sad or struggling during this season doesn’t mean that your faith is weak. It doesn’t mean that you are bad. It doesn’t mean that you don’t love Jesus. It simply means that you are human, and humans experience all sorts of emotions.

Jesus brings ultimate hope and joy, but in our humanity, we still struggle sometimes. If you’re on the struggle bus this year, know that you don’t have to ride it alone. I’m here to listen as you need me and put you in touch with other resources as they’re needed.

Best of all, Jesus is coming. The Light of the World shines brightly amidst the darkness. Thanks be to God.

Blessings,

Valerie Loner

(November 2023) Love God, Love People, Serve the World

Even before I was appointed to Rome First UMC, I knew the church’s motto: Love God. Love
People. Serve the World. I loved our motto the first time I heard it, because it clearly and simply
describes what followers of Jesus are supposed to do.

Since coming to Rome First in July, I’ve been amazed again and again by how sincerely our
church strives to live out these words. That’s why it seemed like a natural fit to approach
stewardship season through the lens of our motto.

This Sunday, we’ll kick off our stewardship series, More Than a Motto: A Guide to Generous
Living. We’ll look at what Jesus has to say about money and the role it plays in our lives. It’s
been quite a few years since we’ve done a full stewardship campaign, but it’s a must for two
reasons.

First and foremost, stewardship is a spiritual issue. How we allocate our time, money and
talents is a reflection of who we say God is and the role that God plays in our lives. As your
pastor, my primary role is to help all of us live more faithfully. I include myself in that work,
because the Holy Spirit is still transforming me, too.

Additionally, our current financial situation makes it clear that we need to prayerfully focus on
stewardship. As the graphic below illustrates, we are about $76,000 short of where we need to
be for 2023.

I’ll note that we — like many churches — receive several large annual gifts at the beginning of
the year, so the first quarter always reflects above average giving. The second and third
quarters better reflect our average giving. Over the last few years, we have spent a large chunk
of our reserve fund to take care of some very necessary capital needs, including new roofs,
parking lots and HVAC units. Because of those expenses, our reserve fund is low, so we need
to prayerfully consider our giving.

The generosity of this congregation can be seen throughout our campus and community. We
have a legacy of caring for and sharing with others. Thank you for what you continue to make
possible! Your gifts can and do make a difference in the world.

In the next week, you’ll receive your 2024 pledge card in the mail, and we will also have them
available in the Wilder Center and in the narthex outside the sanctuary. We will celebrate
Thanksgiving on Nov. 19 by placing our pledge cards in the offering plates during worship. If
you cannot be in worship on Nov. 19, please feel free to bring your pledge card by the church office, mail it in, or place it in the offering plate during another worship service. Pledging helps our Finance Team plan for the year ahead, so your participation is very helpful.

Our motto continues to motivate and inspire me. I hope it does the same for you. Together, we
can live out these commands in ways that change the world. I’m proud to be your pastor, and I
can’t wait to see what God has in store for us in 2024!

Blessings,
Valerie

(October 2023) Wanted: Church Cheerleaders (no backflips required)

Like many of you, I spend part of my fall Saturdays watching my favorite college football team
on television. Go Dawgs! I plan the entire day around game time. I love hearing the roar of the
crowd and getting a sense of the stadium atmosphere. I also love watching from my recliner in
my den, where there are no lines for the restrooms and the snacks are free.

What I miss watching the game this way is seeing the marching bands (which I love) and seeing
the full routines of the cheerleaders. At least the TV crews show occasional shots of the
enthusiastic young people charged with keeping the energy of the crowd at near frenetic levels.
Every team needs cheerleaders. They lead the crowd when the game is going their way, and
they don’t stop when things could be better. They are constant and unswerving in their
dedication to their team.

Every church needs cheerleaders, too. There’s always a need for people who will joyfully invite
others to worship and reach out to those who are absent. Every congregation has a need for
members who talk about the ministries of their church with enthusiasm and love.
Rome First has some excellent cheerleaders, but we always need more. And don’t worry, you
don’t have to be able to do backflips to be a church cheerleader!

One of the most enthusiastic church cheerleaders I ever met was a lady named Helen. Helen
was a strong-willed woman who loved God and her church.

She also loved people. Each Sunday she noticed who wasn’t there and often followed up with a
phone call to let the individual know that they were missed. If she had the person’s address, she
frequently mailed them the Sunday bulletin along with a note. She wanted to see people in
church and made it her mission to encourage attendance and participation however she could.
Even as her own health declined, Helen kept cheering for her church.

I remember getting a phone message the Tuesday after Easter one year. Helen had called to
rejoice about Easter worship and left a message saying, “Hallelujah! You preached to a full
sanctuary!” It was indeed something about which to rejoice and give thanks. It was pre-COVID,
and the size of the crowd was unusually large, even for Easter.

Helen never stopped cheering for her church and what God was doing through its ministries.
How can you cheer for the work of Rome First? It’s not about glorifying us, of course. The point
is to cheer on God’s work that is being done through our church. We have much to cheer about,
and God is still doing new things in us. Get your pompoms ready and encourage those around
you to worship, serve, study and fellowship.

(September 2023) Finding Your Joy

If you were in worship this past Sunday, you heard me talk about a saying introduced
when my alma mater first launched its football team. The coach of the Berry College
Vikings told the team, “No one rides on this ship. We all row.” Everyone on the team
was expected to do their part.

It’s a great way to think about the importance of service, but it’s not the only connection
to service that I learned at Berry. From my first days as a student, I learned the college
motto: “Not to be ministered unto, but to minister.” It’s a quote from Jesus himself that’s
shared in multiple gospels. Newer translations phrase it slightly differently, using the
word “serve” in place of “minister,” but the meaning remains the same. Jesus was a
servant leader, and we are called to be, too.

I mention this because our church is in need of people to serve in a variety of ministries.
We are experiencing growth (thanks be to God!), and we need to be prepared for those
who are coming and who have yet to come.

We gave out a list of ministries with immediate needs last Sunday. Some of you have
already signed up to serve, but I want to encourage those who haven’t yet committed to
a place of service. Serve in a way that brings you joy. Serve in a way that allows you to
use the gifts that God has given you. Serve in a way that meets a need. Your service
makes a difference in the life of our church. It will make a difference in your life and walk
with Jesus, too.

I’m proud of what Rome First UMC has done in our community, and I’m proud to be your pastor.

Blessing,

Valerie

(August 2023) A Note from Pastor Valerie

Friends:

My first month at Rome First UMC has flown by! The first year in a new appointment is usually a wild and wonderful whirlwind as you learn about a church and community. It’s full of firsts: first worship services; first meetings with people and groups; and first iterations of special events. It is a challenging time, but it’s also incredibly joyful.

Thank you for your warm and gracious welcome. Thank you for continuing to introduce yourselves when we meet. Thank you for sharing church history and current needs with me. Thank you for dreaming about what we can do with God’s help. Thank you for loving God, loving people, and serving the world! There are lots of great things ahead. You’ll be hearing more about fall Bible studies soon, as well as special events like Blessing of the Animals and the fall carnival.

We closed out July with a great performance from the praise band and a reminder that many people
don’t yet know that God loves them. Let’s show them God’s love. Seeing the people of Rome First UMC kneeling in prayer along the chancel railing was inspiring and moving. May we continue to pray about our efforts to make disciples and share the love of Jesus!

God is at work, my friends! Let’s continue to join in God’s holy work.

Blessings,
Valerie

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